AFM & SAG-AFTRA IP Rights Distribution Fund paid $7M to non-featured performers last year

Up $10m from the previous year, the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund has handed out a record-breaking $70m to non-featured performers, including many instrumentalists and vocalists who have struggled financially during the pandemic.

Guest post by Emmanuel Legrand of the Legrand Network

The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund has made a record-breaking distribution of over $70 million for 2020, up from $60m the previous year.  

The Fund collects and distributes royalties to non-featured performers on sound recordings for songs played on satellite radio, non-interactive streaming, and other digital formats domestically and internationally.

 “Given the enormous impact the pandemic has had on the ability to earn a living on both instrumentalists and vocalists, we are thrilled to be able to assist non-featured performers by collecting and distributing royalty income they might not know they’re entitled to receive,” says Sidney Kibodeaux White, Chief Operating Officer of The Fund.

Pleasant surprises in the mailbox 

The Fund is operated by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and entertainment union SAG-AFTRA. It does not require membership or registration requirements in order to qualify as long as a musician participates as a non-featured performer on a covered sound recording, that musician is considered a “participant” for distribution purposes.

“If you’ve worked as a vocalist or a musician, the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund may have some funds for you,” explains Grammy Award-winning artist Alvin Chea of a cappella groupTake 6. “I know I’ve worked on a lot of big projects with artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Elton John, along with some smaller projects — they find them all. They’ve blessed me and given me many pleasant surprises in my mailbox.”